I had hoped my last post would be it. But no.
"before their scheduled time to leave" We didn't know there was a scheduled time to leave. They did not tell us. My dad knew before we did. My dad lives in Cairns. Perhaps this would have been VERY important information to tell us BEFORE WE CHANGED EVERYTHING FOR THESE UNGRATEFUL PEOPLE?!!
Cost a lot to get them back??? What about the excess rent we can now barely afford. What if we had gotten that bus?? Got them into school? Got them anything?? We visited parliamentarians to have registrars decisions altered, to allow them to commence school here. Michelle and Crystal both went to the primary school where we were going to enrol the middle child and they carried on the farce never once indicating that they had no intention to stay at all.
We pulled in favours from people to have the fees dropped because of the visa situation - but why would we bother with all this if we knew thay were not staying? We didn't know because they didn't tell us. Life may have been very different if they'd just been honest with us. Maybe we expected too much from them. But then is honesty too much to expect? We don't think so.
And if the social workers couldn't handle them. Then where was the warning from the rest of the "family"??? We knew it would be hard - but we did not expect to be hit with a wall everytime we turned a corner.
We were not left a choice as to whether they came or not. We did not question the decision. Perhaps we should have. That's a moot point now.
"It was your responsibility to have stopped this before they embarked on this mission of folly"
Exactly how is that? When everyone else turned their backs? Stop them? They made decisions without us, they arranged to come on a visitors visa without talking to us. They didn't include us in any of that it was merely "dumped" on us. So no, we don't take responsibility for decisions made without us included.
Mission of folly is right. They had no intention of staying and yet let us do so much rearranging, organising, financial planning, changing and "fixing". We did open our hearts and home for these people only to have it spat on, jumped all over, complained about and ripped apart before having it thrown back in our faces in spite.
To err is human, to forgive divine. We do forgive. But we do not forget. Crystal burnt her own bridges by disrespecting us as people and as parents. And she did it in front of my children and that I WILL not forget. Just because she did a horrific job of bringing up her own children, does not mean we have to follow suit. Just because she has crap values as a person and mother - does not mean i have to compromise my children's future and their lives to become as pathetic as they have.
I think when a four year old girl stands and says to me "Josh ruined my birthday. I don't ever want to see him again" Thats so potent I can't even begin to forget what they did. Will they ever be welcome in our lives again? Hell no, we won't go.
Frankly we don't care where they end up. God has his own plan for them. Not sure that it's a good one but oh well. Just think...the boys will probably end up with Gordon. And frankly if it does? Michelle has only herself to blame for that.
Had we known they only planned on coming for a short time, things may have been different. But that's a choice they made - to not tell us and keep us informed of what was really going on behind our backs. So really - they made their beds. Now they can sleep in them...wherever that may be. But it will not be with us.